Icicles No. 24 - dildo sex toy by Pipedream - review by She & him

From her: The uses of this toy are delightfully varied, from artistic statement piece (I like to leave it atop a lacquered sushi boat my partner snagged for me, invoking "Release the Kraken!" quips) to anal or vaginal use, or even just enjoying the heavily textured feel orally or when dragged across the skin. For me personally, and from a sex toy standpoint, this toy works best when used vaginally, inserted "tongue" side down (that is, against the posterior wall of the vagina), but it's also an absolute visual treat to see the delicate loop at the end poking out of my partner's anus.

From him: I was a little hesitant about using this one, because previously the texturing on a couple of the Icicles that we own has been too much for me to handle anally. However, I wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to play with this little joy, and tested it out. I'm happy I did, the texturing was intense, but not overly so, and I was able to really enjoy Her using it on me. Lots of lube, take it slow, and enjoy the ride, as it may be.

From her: This toy, like the others in the Icicles line, is made from Borosilicate glass, so it is quite firm, smooth, and cool to the touch, with a nice heft to it as well. It is also heavily textured on both sides - on the top side, the texturing mimics the suckers on a tentacle, and below, there are a series of thick veins that are reminiscent of typical texturing on a cock-shaped dildo. However, because of the color and shape of this toy, the bottom side is somewhat reminiscent of a tongue versus a cock. It is semi-realistic, with the tentacle side being slightly more true to life than the tongue/cock side, as the veins are quite pronounced. This intense texturing may present issues for less advanced users, as both the veins and the suckers are raised enough to be felt vaginally and anally.

From him: As far as the borosilicate glass goes, it's super safe. You're able to bleach it, run it though your dishwasher, and boil it. It's non-porous, so you are able to sterilize it and share uncovered, but be careful as always. You can also heat it up using hot water, and cool it by sticking it in the freezer for a bit too. As always, temperature needs some attention paid to it, as you don't want to hurt yourself.

From her: The design of this toy is nothing short of beautiful. From the pale pink translucence of the glass to the alternating "tentacle" and "tongue/cock" textures, and variations in size along its length, I am hard-pressed to think of a toy that I coveted more immediately than this one upon seeing it for the first time. Since it is made of glass and therefore has no "give," the girth of this toy may present a problem for inexperienced users, especially those who intend to use it anally.

Presented in the right light, this toy can be quite discreet (for example, if disguised as a piece of modern art) but sex toy enthusiasts will probably have no trouble spotting it for what it actually is. The loop at the end of the tentacle is the perfect size to hook a finger in to better control the toy, or possibly a spot to insert a vibrating companion toy.

From her: Two features of this toy contribute to how wonderfully it performs: the material and the texturing. I love glass toys not only because they're easy to clean, but because of how they feel when inserted and because of the possibility of temperature play. This toy feels great fresh out of the freezer or having been submerged in hot water for a few minutes (do be careful that the water isn't too hot, though.) Mostly, though, I just love the feel of glass - smooth and unyielding. That sensation, in combination with the intense texturing on this toy, made for a no-brainer - I was going to love it - and I do.

Personally, I like to run the tentacle side of the toy over my outer labia while sitting as a way to begin, as the "suckers" are raised enough to be stimulating anywhere on your skin, in my opinion. I find it easiest to insert vaginally on its side, since the girth is less noticeable that way, and then rotate it while inserted, since the side walls of my vagina are less sensitive than the anterior and posterior walls. My favorite position for this toy is to face it tentacle side up, hook my thumb in the loop at the end, and move it in and out so that the tip of the "tongue" portion presses hard on my G-spot while the entrance to my vagina is stimulated by the "sucker" bumps. I have yet to find a toy other than this one that stimulates these two extremely sensitive areas of my vagina simultaneously, so if your sweet spots are the same as mine, this is definitely a toy to try.

Some of the other Icicles come with a multi-speed bullet that can be inserted into the "loop" on the end of this and other toys made by them; unfortunately, though we do own one, the bullet came to us busted, and we weren't able to try it out. We'll address trying to add vibrations to this toy in a follow-up review, though, as I suspect that it would be a mindblowing combination.

From him: This toy is fun, hands down. We found it easiest to use on each other, rather than solo play, as there's not a good direction to stabilize it from, or grip yourself. This isn't a big deal, as it is just so much fun to play with.

From her: Care of this toy, since it is glass, is a breeze. It's compatible with any type of lube, and for cleaning, simply wash well with soap and water, or boil or dishwash as you like in order to sterilize. Since glass toys don't give off odors, I let this one float freely in my "frequent use" toybox next to my bed - only because I do use it on such a regular basis. When it is sterilized and I know I won't be using it for awhile, I like to display it, as I mentioned, on the sushi boat on my bookshelf - it's a great conversation piece.

From her: As with all of the Icicles, this toy came in a beautiful box, black and white with a high-res photo of the toy on the front, that is ideal for long-term storage or even for display, as it has a false front which opens to display the toy within through a plastic window, comfortably encased in padding specifically designed for the shape of the toy.

From her: I love cephalopods and I study Japanese, so this toy works on so many levels for me - as a gag piece, as a cephalopod-related curio, etc. It doesn't hurt at all that it's simply gorgeous in its design and feels great when used in its primary function as a sex toy. Basically, it's awesome to see such a quirky idea for a dildo be executed in such a successful fashion. I could not be happier with this toy. I took it out to write this review, and am currently sitting on it right now, anticipating using it afterward - that's how much I love it.

From him: This thing is pretty great. The little twirl at the bottom of the toy lets us work a fingertip into it, and give us some more control when using it. I've not been able to use it solo, but that's not a bad thing in my book, we do almost everything like that together.